Thread 25 - Covid Cohort - Christmas Trees, No Omicron Please!

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to posts about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this goodwill continues.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided, for anyone interested, they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Orange Cinnamon (Head Monitor )
Previous Thread Found Here

Ds1 messaged to say the gp has given him antibiotics. Apparently when the dr examined him, ds had to stand by an open window with a fan blowing onto him. Ds has a long wait for the prescription as the pharmacist is at lunch. I didn't tell him it's almost £10 for a prescription. He didn't fill the forms in to make him eligible for free as didn't think he'd need anything.

I’m glad he’s gone AND got a script @icanbewhatiwant - has he acknowledged that mother does know best or is it too soon for that?!

Phew, at least prescribed antibiotics. Why do children make it (parenting) so much more painful than it needs to be?

The gp just said he'd got a viral and bacterial infection. Not quite sure what that means. But i am glad he's sorted it.

Just had an email from school about staggered return as they need to go in for LFT. Ds2's year go back 5th Jan. ds3 will be thrilled as he doesn't go back for another week. But year 8 are probably one of the least important as no exams, hence being last back.

I also found ds's end of year report in his bag. I read it and put it back. I wonder when he will give it to me. His target grade and his current attainment are the same. Distinction star for business. B for both history and religious studies/ethics/philosophy. Also there is a form to book online for Jan. parents eve. Booking isn't until 5th jan. last time we couldn't get online when appointments opened. Then 2 teachers were booked up by the time we got on. Same happened for ds3.

At the back of my mind am feeling a bit anxious re: TAGs. I was explaining to DMIL how it would work yesterday and it occurred to me seemed like two cohorts back when a certain percentage of grades were suggested for each cohort. Probably overthinking it!

@Oblomov21

Phew, at least prescribed antibiotics. Why do children make it (parenting) so much more painful than it needs to be?

I think it's in their job description! Glad he's got something from the GP to help ICan

@icanbewhatiwant Hurrah for finally following mum's advice! Glad he's being treated.

@HibiscusIsland "She tends to build up a lot of money as she's mainly interested in minecraft". A yr13 friend of DS has a p/t online job as customer support for Minecraft.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail I share your concern re TAGs. Mainly because there has been a strong message that grade inflation in the last couple of years must be reined in. Our DC could end up with lower TAGs and still a sense of others thinking they have not been hard earned.

@icanbewhatiwant glad he’s got antibiotics xx

@Zebracat that's a great offer from Warwick. My dd has a liberal arts offer from there but I think it's AAA?

Got my sewing machine out for fancy dress tomorrow, DS going as Father Christmas and a (tall very male) friend as Mrs Christmas. I made him a little skirt out of a spare Santa top, used some of the rest to make a sack so they can distribute sweets all day. Feels like a bit of normality!

Hi @NCTDN. It’s a contextual offer, because she is care experienced. So happy though. It seems a brilliant course. Did you go to the open day?

@icanbewhatiwant - pleased your DS got himself sorted, hope he recovers quickly. Have fun at your Mums.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail - I also have concerns re tags. Last time DDs school stuck to their past results very regidly, so if they had only had 3 Grade 8s on average in the past 3 years that is what they gave - despite if more people deserved it. DD lost out on at least 2 subjects (but them was probably upgraded on 1 subject). I've just looked back at the spreadsheet I made of the previous 3 yrs A Levels results (not including last year) and DD would be screwed if they had to do that again! They have only got 1 x A in Pyschology, 0 xA/A in PE and 6 x A/A* in Biology in the last 3 years (NOT AVERAGE). Surely it won't matter this time if there is proof that DDs Mock & tests results are higher???

@Oblomov21 very jealous of your eyelashes and getting them done. I want to but am too chicken. I need mascara every day as mine are short and straight. Perhaps I need to pluck up the courage and go for it.

@ZittiEBuoni - hope your DD enjoyed her baguette & jam, she has done so well recently, hopefully today was a blip and that she feels up to seeing the counsellor next time.

@ExquisitelyDecorated fingers crossed for your PCR test.

DD surprised me today and passed her drivng theory test! She only started looking at the app last night.. Seems she still has a photograhic memory (for a very short time). I think she passed by 1 mark .. I was happy that she actually took it tbh, she has put it off a few times because she hadn't got around to revising, but decided to go for it anyway this time - I think because she has 2 friends that have recently passed their driving test. DD gets stressed going into unknown situations (I'm not allowed to use the anxious word) so it was a big deal just going along. Pleased for her.

Also received another offer tonight - Sheffield this time, AAB or ABB with a B in core maths.

She is off clubbing tomorrow night with her friends in Liverpool.. 1 suggested staying out all night and going straight to school after - thankfully DD said no way and wants to come home at 1.30/2.00. (I wouldn't have agreed to it anyway but it's better coming from her)

@Heifer well done to dd. Ds was just the same with his theory. He didn't revise until the day before.

Ds1 messaged me late last night to say he fell asleep and hadn't even started his antibiotics 🤬 I'd already told him to try taking 3 doses by late that night. So I told him he obviously doesn't want to get better. I'm fed up with him now.

It is quiet at my mums. There's always so much to get done at home, but mum just sits down all day here as she's not very mobile. So I go for a couple of long walks each day by the sea. The sea doesn't look nice when it's damp and dreary weather, but it was good to see it. I will just enjoy a day of doing very little before I drive home tomorrow.

ds2 has been given tickets to see Man U play a game Saturday. So he needs taking to the train station (45 mins drive) for 6.20am then him and his mate have 5 and half hour train ride to get there. Tram to the match. Then all the way home again. One of us will pick them up again very late. I'd rather him than me. That's a lot of train ride. I just hope he doesn't pick Covid up on his journey! He's never been one for keeping his hands clean and the phone is constantly in his hands.

I'm waiting for Ds to tell me has an offer, form sent Monday. But nothing yet. Maybe it'll after Christmas now.

Glad you’re having a bit of a breather from the kids @icanbewhatiwant. I hope ds1 starts taking his antibiotics at some point soon! I wouldn’t fancy that journey just for a football match!

Re tags, I know schools got caught out in 2020 when some had already moderated grades down and some had chanced it. But I was assuming most schools were more generous last year? Really they should give everyone their ‘best case scenario/best day’ grades, on the basis that they can’t possibly know who would and wouldn’t have a good day in the actual exams.

I’m a bit annoyed with ds as he totally downed tools this week for his last 2 exams - he said he doesn’t care at all about Physics and Chemistry as he hates them and ‘doesn’t need them’! Oh well, if he comes a cropper, it’s not like we didn’t tell him!

Well done on the Sheffield offer @heifer! Still just the two offers here.

@Heifer Glad Sheffield caught up with your DD! Great news.

@Heifer thank you, no result yet. No sooner had I got back from the test centre when DD announced she felt ill so I ended up going back with her, neither result is in yet but I have woken several times in the night to check my phone so I'm tired. Well done to DD on the theory test!

DS's UCAS coordinator tested positive yesterday so his form still hasn't gone in. Hope she's OK.

@icanbewhatiwant glad your DS (mostly) rose to the challenge of being an adult and sorting himself out. Hope you enjoy a relaxing day today.

@Heifer congrats on driving theory and Sheffield. Back in 2020 Sheffield had offer holder days in March. They were really good ones with accom in halls for a nominal charge (£5 or £10/night) and a free meal the night before in a social area of the halls. It was cancelled for us (2020), but hope they still do it for you.

DS went off this morning in fine Christmas spirit!

Remote schooling in January feeling likely www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59673271

[quote Monkey2001]Remote schooling in January feeling likely www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59673271[/quote]
Just told DS to make sure he brings everything back he might need in case of a delayed start in January. Not sure he can carry it all. He’s off today to a lecture theatre at the campus of somewhere he is thinking of applying so I guess that’s kind of a campus visit!

Great to see DS getting into the spirit of things Monkey.

Congratulations on the new offers . I hope all those who are unwell at all soon feel better.

DD saw Spiderman last night with one of her besties! Said it was the best film ever

Oh monkey, love that photo!

Her last day today so driving in and then off to friends house as a group of four to have homemade dinner and watch a movie 🍿

@Fruitygal Ds was off to see Spider-Man with his mates last night. I don't know what he thought of it as I'm not home. I'm assuming he enjoyed it.